[Birdtalk] Willard Bay West

[Kristin Purdy]

I birded west of Willard Bay in Box Elder County today and was pleased to find the road is still passable. Not good, mind you, but passable. The theme of the day was gulls, waterfowl, and surprisingly, shorebirds. Here's what I saw about 2 miles north of Harold Crane WMA at the water's edge:

Lots of Killdeer
Lots of Least Sandpipers
Lots of American Avocets
Greater Yellowlegs (2)
Lesser Yellowlegs (4)
Long-billed Dowitchers (12)

Bonaparte's and Ring-billed Gulls
Forster's Tern (just one)

The open water was dominated by Northern Pintails and American Wigeon. I also saw low numbers of:

Eared Grebe
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Bufflehead
Goldeneye sp.
Ruddy Duck

Flocks of American Pipits were using the road as well.

A HUGE flotilla of Common Mergansers was in the open water of Willard Reservoir out from the South Marina, but the marina is now closed for the season and the ducks were far from my vantage point. In addition, lots of gulls were resting and flying over the water in the southeast part of the reservoir. They tend to be attracted to a feedlot east of the South Marina and south of the dike. In previous winter seasons, I've seen incredible numbers of them swirling over the feedlot. Just this morning I found an access to the southeast dike and I hope to explore it further this winter. That will get me closer to the areas the gulls use. 

I don't think I convinced a passerby at Willard West that I'm a real birder. I was scoping a flock of Ring-billed Gulls when a van pulled up and the driver asked if I had seen the thousands of swans that ferry between one of the Bear River MBR units and Willard Spur. I told him I hadn't and that I've never been very interested in swans. He said "Well, you're a birdwatcher, aren't you?" He seemed to be completely mystified as to why I was studying the gulls when I could be looking at swans. What has become of me, anyway? 

Kris
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